LICOASTIE

I always pickup 2 leftovers for 1C. Will grab some today

Hello Chris, I do not bow hunt but hunt the shotgun season in January every year. I would be happy to meet up and hunt one of the days in the shotgun season. Send me a PM if interested. best, Chris (my name is also Chris and I’m a Coast Guard Vet.)

This will be my 3rd year applying. I usually just buy 6 chances. I go in it with the mindset it will be many years before I ever draw.

@Ledge77 how was your hunt?

@ATbuckhunter thanks for the advice! Good luck during the deer season I’ll be out there this week too

@bruno1 I know it’s late in the season but what is the best way to hunt pheasant on the state lands? Seems like the reservation call in system for weekends is pointless if it’s first come first serve to sign up on the list. I live 50 minutes from the check station so it’s not really that easy for me. I don’t have a dog but do have a couple buddies I can hunt with where we can walk the fields hopping to kick a bird up. From what it sounds like when they stock on the weekends that is the best chance at a bird since the one time they stock on a weekday is random. Are there birds still leftover if I were to get a parking spot on standby after a hunter in the morning goes out?

To hunt Hampton bays you need to be a resident and apply for a duck blind with the town. You go on a waiting list and when picked you can construct an blind at your location of choice. I believe that is the only legal way to duck hunt out there. I know bellport bay is off limits due to the pattersquash gun club owning the water rights. The lack of information on legal hunting is ridiculous. DEC website is poor and towns don’t make it readily known on their hunting or discharge laws. I have heard about the nissequogue but from my understanding is you need to be a town resident to launch at the boat ramp. Maybe you can launch at the town over and motor in?

I have a 16ft John boat I take out on the south shore. I’ve done some party boats out of Montauk and Hampton Bays which was a good time

I was recently stationed on the eastern shore and regularly hunted Maryland public. I had a tough time and only took one doe in 3 years there. It sounds like you hunted the late rifle season. That time of the year can be really tough. The deer have been pushed and hunted hard after the November gun season and December muzzleloader season. I think you would have better luck hunting early season archery in September in MD. The bucks can be patterned if you know what field they are visiting. Feeders would be good too early season

January shotgun was slow for me. Spent a good amount of time in the woods but never really had any great chances. Saw some small does and a spike that shed on one side, couldn’t get a shot off.

I have a 20 gauge rifled mossberg 500 that took me a while to get sighted in. After many shots I was able to get it so that I aim -2inches at 50 for a bullseye hit and then aim +2 inches at 100 yards for bullseye. I also own a 50 cal muzzleloader that was very easy to zero at 100 yards. I much prefer the accuracy of the scoped muzzleloader to that of my rifle sighted shotgun. Also stay away from lead sleds with slug guns. They cause a lot of barrel hop and make all your shots shoot high. When I sighted in the shotgun I just used a rest and firm downward pressure on the forearm of the gun.

I just sent them an email. Thanks for the info!

Next year I would like to go on at least one out of state hunt. I’ve been talking to a guy in Oregon who offers DIY cow elk hunts on private. If I don’t do that I would like to go to NH for a baited bear hunt.

I haven’t taken one on Long Island yet but from what I’ve seen the past couple years in January the first couple weeks are best. After that the deer get extremely spooked and are constantly running. I usually go out solo and just still hunt. With all the standby rules and having to be back by 30mins after sunset it is really tough to sit in a tree stand since you can’t really hunt sunrise and sunset times which are best.

NY is a 2 buck state. Lots of different DMP tags to shoot does but only 2 bucks can be taken. 1 during regular season and 1 either during archery or muzzleloader. If you buy the archery and muzzleloader privilege you are entitled to 1 buck and 1 antlerless.

If anyone still needs a 3M DMP for muzzleloader season I will happily mail mine.

I’ve run into hikers many times during January firearms season on LI. It is frustrating. I do try to to think that they are at least moving deer around. I wonder if there is less hikers/bikers etc. the farther East you go on LI during archery and gun?

Lots of good info above. My advice would be to keep at it. November is the best time to be in the deer woods. Watch your wind at all times. If you can find the does I’m sure the bucks won’t be far away with the rut starting soon. Looks for active scrapes and rubs bucks should be cruising scrapes.

I too face the dilemma of being right handed and left eye dominant. For that reason I have just stuck to using my crossbow. I’m interested to find out from other guys who have this problem if they just shoot a bow right handed or learn to shoot left handed

I have duck hunted here in the past and can tell you that you will not be the only deer hunter here. Walking thru the woods I saw a ladder stand up last year and the year before a ground blind. This place gets hit hard by waterfowl hunters. If you do hunt here I recommend during a weekday.

Like others have said I would find a way to get up in a tree stand. Or at least use a ground blind or a homemade blind with burlap. Hunting deer from the ground is extremely difficult especially for someone just starting out. If you use a blind make sure to brush it in with natural cover, deer will notice it. Definitely watch the wind and don’t ever be upwind of a place you expect deer to be. This includes your walk into the woods. Best of luck!

Fellow coastie here stationed in VA. I hunt upstate every year with family in 4W. Also hunt on Long Island. Feel free to pm any questions. Best of luck!

I have onX and really like it. It’s great being able to see property boundaries and ownership. I drop waypoints all the time for both fishing and hunting. Go on Camofire.com and they sometimes have the premium onX membership for $60 a year.

The college itself allows deer hunting on some of its lands. They have info on their website. Have to fill out a few forms and stuff but could be worth it. I’ve never hunted up there just heard about it.

Thanks for all the responses guys. Once I get my tax returns I’m gonna buy the optima and put a Leupold scope on it. Do you guys use a lower magnification than 3x9 40mm? I was thinking possibly 2x7 with a good amount of eye relief.